Cowls and Menacing Stares

            by Kyle Tuominen

 

            I stumbled out the interrogation room door and am immediately bombarded with various scowls and menacing stares. I can’t help but wonder what these people think I did. I try to avoid looking at people’s faces because I just can’t handle judgments about me anymore. I finally see the row of phones and know that I’m only a couple steps away from my phone call and then eventually, my freedom.

            “Get over there, third phone from the right. Make it quick”, the cop is clearly not happy about having to be seen with me.

            I sit next to a gruff looking man who is wearing a denim jacket and tattoos cover his knuckles. Jesus, to think, 3 years ago I would have been talking to him as if I was his lawyer and now look at me. The same man asking me if I know how to kill the aliens jerks me back to reality. Dammnitt, I have to get out of here.

            Picking up the frigid black phone I realize that my own daughter make actually reject my phone call. I tried to put that damn night out of head and had succeeded for so long. Why does this have to come back now? Of all times? Why the hell did I yell at her? Why did I insult her? Because I'm an idiot. Fuck it the least she can do is post bail for me.

            I grudgingly dial the numbers and wait for a string of hope to come from the speaker of the phone. The seconds tick by and I’m starting to get worried. Suddenly I hear a click from the phone and I recognize it as the beginning of a sound.

            “Your call has been rejected by the recipient, Good-bye.”

            The automated voice has ended all hope for me and I start to feel rage for the first time in years. How the fuck could she do this to me? The man who helped her through her entire childhood? Fuck this bullshit. When I get back on my feet, she won’t be able to apologize enough. Fuck her.

I was so enraged that I hadn’t even realized that I had started screaming my thoughts and now I see the cops start swarming into the room. The two officers stationed by the door are a couple steps ahead of the rest of the tidal wave of blue. I can almost see it happening from above. The tidal wave crashes down on me and the Billy clubs and batons come out and start striking. I see my body crumple into a ball amid the chaos that has formed in the calling room. Other inmates start yelling and screaming and all of a sudden, I see a familiar face.

My view from above has shown me a face that I had longed to see. I had just hoped that it would be under different circumstances where there were less cops and more freedom. The face stares at my crumpled body and a smirk comes to his face, the familiar black goatee and the blue eyes that seem to belay calmness to everyone looking into them. I’m not tricked however, it happened once, it wont happen again. I hear a cracking sound and look at my body long enough to see my jaw dislocated and my nose broken before I pass out from the pain.

Looking up all I can see are bright lights and a man in a suit and tie holding a piece of paper above my head. I can tell he must be a lawyer judging from his balding head, must be from the stress, his crisp tie and Armani suit, must be a police lawyer, they’re all fuckin corrupt.

“What the fuck do you want?” My words are carefully chosen and I get my desired reaction as he grimaces from the insult.

“I need you to sign this paper saying that the police used necessary force and that you promise not to sue us. In return the District attorney has agreed to be lenient on you.” He smiles as he says this and I can’t help but wonder what his underlying intentions are.

“Give me the fuckin thing, I’ll see if you are bullshitting me or not. And if you are ill make sure that you’re disbarred you crook”

The paper is easy to see through. The wording of the “arrangement” is clearly vague to offer the police a way to escape the entire contract if I don’t agree to a prison term of at least 50 years.

“You fuckin liar.” I roar. “If I sign this it means I can’t sue the department for the pain and suffering and says that if a jury doesn’t sentence me to at least 50 years than the District Attorney doesn’t have to offer leniency. Fuck this. Get the hell out of here.”

A nurse comes rushing over and I have to assure her that I’m fine.

“It’s ok; he is just a crook lawyer who can’t set up his own practice because he has such a bad reputation.” The lawyer backs away dutifully before I have the opportunity to pile on more insults.

“Now now Mr. Johnstone. We don’t need that type of talk here. Try to think positive thoughts and you’ll be back with your friends before you know it.”

I remember that familiar face as the previous events flash back into my mind.

“Do you know if there is a Danny Livingston as an inmate here?” I ask as she turns around and she whirls back around as if surprised by the question. I can just imagine her thoughts

Well he seems like a nice man, with the exception of that lawyer. I’m sure it’s just one of his hobo friends. “Let me check for you.”

 

I feel a throbbing pain for the first time sine I woke up and I look down at my bruised and bloody body. Damn, I shouldn’t have fucked around like that. Definitely not worth  it.

“Yes, we do have an inmate by the name of Danny Livingston here actually.” She continues “He is in cell block A, are you two friends?”

“Of course we are, I thought I saw him during the fracas and was just curious. Thanks for helping me, I’ll be sure to find him in the courtyard” I say as nonchalantly as  I can. I think I failed since she starts to look at me funny. I pick up a magazine from my side table and start thumbing through the pages, hoping something will catch my eye and draw my mind away from this debilitating sting. Nothing works, and I slowly fade back into unconsciousness from the pain.

An Englishman nurse nudges me back to reality. “Well Mr. Johnstone, you can finally go back to your cell now. You have been in and out of it the past couple of days due to the painkillers but there isn’t much more we can do for you and the warden really wants to see you back in a cell. He seems to have taken a special interest in you. Sorry mate.”

I attempt to rise out of bed but the handcuff around my arm and bed pretty much cut off any chance of that happening. The cop stationed at the door rushes over as if I was about to attempt the great prison escape of 2007. “Hold up, no need to rush, trust me you’d rather be here than back in the main population. See, most of them have wives and with you being the suspect of last weeks rape and murder of that married woman, most of them won’t be looking at you favorably. Good luck.” He finishes the sentence with a grunt as if to emphasize his point.

He uncuffs my arm and together we head out the door of the infirmary. Taking the first left we happen upon death row and  suddenly I hear shouts of, “You’ll be here soon”, “It’s your turn next”, and “Can’t wait for you to join us”. All of which are punctuated by roars of approval from the inmates.

           

Buzz. I hear the clicking sound of the cell doors below me being opened and I slowly wink my eyes open, hoping that maybe this is all just a bad dream. Nope, your sure as hell in a prison and you don’t even know exactly what your in for. Sunlight streams down through barred windows near the ceiling and the light hits the cement platform right outside my cell. I slowly step into the sunlight and squint as it becomes to bright for me. I walk in a line in file with all the other inmates as we go down the stairs and into the mess hall. The line slowly proceeds along its path taking all of us through the breakfast line, and down to our tables.

 I finish my meal of cold oatmeal, soon to be sour milk and a stale biscuit and rise up form the table. Free time in the courtyard is right after breakfast and I cant wait to actually be outside again.

 

            I pass the next couple of hours trying to calm my nerves on the benches next to the weight set. Finally, Livingston comes out. I start walking towards Danny as I think about what to do next. Should I swear at him? Should I stay calm? I hear a guard call out my name to come see him. Danny is getting closer and closer and I still don’t know what to do. I am right next to Danny and I mutter under my breath, “Karma is a bitch, ain’t it?” I’m pleased with myself as I continue through the courtyard until I reach the guard. He tells me that Tony, the detective, is here to see me. I follow him through the various corridors and atriums of the jail until I reach another interrogation room. I sit down, waiting for the next barrage of insults, curse words, threats, and allegations. The lone source of light is a light bulb hanging from the ceiling, high above me. The cold steel chair somehow feels familiar as I sit down. Tony ambles in with the look of a beaten dog.

            “You can go, we checked with candy; you were with her.”

            There is no way they are trusting the word of a prostitute. Why are they letting me go? “There has to be something else, we both know I’m not a moron so cut the crap. What else happened that you are letting me go?”

            “We found DNA evidence on the body of the victim. It was female.”

            “Are you fucking kidding me? You guys kept me in this hell hole for over a week, and beat me and now you are just gonna let me go like nothing happened? You will pay for this. But for now I'm just gonna get the hell out of here. Will you at least call me a cab for your incompetence? And I'm sure you can afford to pay for it too.”

            “No need to, a ride is here for you.”